Open your heart to Charles Dickens’ classic tale of one man’s ultimate redemption. One of northeast Ohio’s favorite holiday traditions, A Christmas Carol is a perfect gift of theater for children and adults of all ages. Celebrate the season with the ones you love.

The Cleaveland family celebrates the holiday season by enjoying the Charles Dickens classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL, as read by Mother Cleaveland (actor Laura Welsh Berg, center) in Great Lakes Theater's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg, left) bah-humbugs a pair of well-meaning charity men (actor Aled Davies, center; actor M.A. Taylor, right) in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg) takes center stage in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

The Ghost of Jacob Marley (actor Dougfred Miller, left) warns Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg, right) to change his ways in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Young Scrooge (actor Jonathan Dyrud, left center) shares a tender moment with his potential soulmate Belle (actor Laura Welsh Berg, right center) as Fezziwig guests celebrate in tow in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Fezziwig (actor Aled Davies, center) celebrates with his holiday guests in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

The Ghost of Christmas Present (actor, David Anthony Smith) makes an impressive and magical entrance in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Bob Cratchit (actor, Neil Brookshire) lifts Tiny Tim (actor, Xander Smits) as Cratchit family members celebrate the occasion in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

The Ghost of Christmas Present (actor, David Anthony Smith, above) looms over Ignorance (actor, Emma McLelland, right below) and Want (actor, Ellie Ritterbusch, left below) in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Bob Cratchit (actor, Neil Brookshire) mourns the loss of Tiny Tim as Cratchit family members attempt to find holiday comfort on the sad occasion in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Great Lakes Theater rings in the holiday season with its 28th annual production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

From the Director...

Gerald Freedman reflects on his role as adapter and director of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

I had never seen A Christmas Carol on stage or film before tackling an adaptation for Great Lakes Theater Festival in 1989. The piece has, however, entered our literary and popular vocabulary as a metaphor for redemption and the possibility of change. So it was with great anticipation that I approached my job.

Our production takes place in a middle-class London home. It is Christmas Eve, 1864, Twenty years after Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. As the Cleaveland family sits down to the traditional reading of the story, the youngest child, a boy, begins to imagine the story that is being told to him. We see the play from his point of view.

Articles from the family home roam freely through Dickens' story and the child's imagination. The family fireplace appears in Scrooge's home; a desk becomes the workplace of Bob Cratchit; Samuels, the butler and also disciplinarian for the boy, becomes Scrooge; and siblings variously appear as other characters.

Dickens called the story a Ghost Story, and we have tried to remain true to this description, while at the same time creating an entertaining piece of theater.

Scrooge is a young man born into poverty who grows up distorted into thinking money is everything. He rejects his spiritual side and his heart becomes small and cold. Through the course of the story, he learns that he can change. The Spirits show him how loving people were in the past, how needy they are in the present, and that the results of his current pattern of behavior are to die alone without family, friends or love.

The three Spirits are each larger than life and haunting for different reasons. I see the Ghost of Christmas Past as benevolent: Scrooge first does not want to deal with the past, which serves as a painful reminder of what he has lost, but it is familiar and potentially warm.

The Spirit of Christmas Present is huge and expansive, as he embodies the entire world with everyone's thought and feelings on Christmas Day. The most daunting of the three is the Spirit of Christmas Future. He is connected to the unknown and therefore represents the greatest threat.

I think Dickens is essentially saying it is never too later to change -- not only yourself, but the world. One good deed, if allowed to, can and will spread through the world. The obstacles to the growth of a giving spirit are Ignorance and Want. As the poet Santanyana said, "Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it." It is this ignorance of the past and present which holds our downfall. Likewise, want of proper food and housing beget people who can't function properly.

In A Christmas Carol, Dickens decries materialism in favor of generosity and social responsibility. The enduring popularity of the story is grounded in his faith in the idea of change. Dickens portrays the obstacle to change as the paralyzing fear of giving up something and being somehow diminished in the process.

In the end, Scrooge risks squandering his money to provide for the welfare of others, and risks opening his heart and giving of his love, which makes him vulnerable to hurt, but which paves the way for his redemption.

Gerald Freedman, Original Director and Adapter A Christmas Carol

Synopsis

A Christmas Carol is more than a holiday tale.

It is a retelling of the very human dilemma that many of us face. We often think of Scrooge as a stereotype: as just the mean old man who says, “Bah, humbug!” The character of Ebenezer Scrooge, however, is much more than that – he is a symbol of all people who close their eyes to the ignorance and poverty in the world. In the story, Scrooge is a strong supporter of, and active participant in, a corrupt and cruel system. He goes through life thinking only of himself. In his own words, “It’s enough for a man to understand his own business and not to interfere with other peoples’.”

Begin at the Beginning
It is Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge is busy in his counting house. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, works in the next room with the smallest of fires to keep warm. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, arrives to invite his uncle to Christmas dinner. Scrooge adamantly refuses, exclaiming, “Bah, humbug!” Fred tries to persuade him to change him mind, but to no avail. As Fred leaves, two gentlemen arrive and request a donation for the poor. Scrooge refuses, citing that taking care of the poor is the job of the prisons and workhouses. Scrooge grudgingly gives Bob Cratchit Christmas day off and they both leave for the day.

As Scrooge returns home on Christmas Eve, he is startled by the appearance of his doorknocker, which suddenly takes the form of his deceased partner’s face. It turns into a regular knocker again and Scrooge goes about his business, getting ready for bed. Scrooge is just settling down to a bowl of gruel when he is suddenly frightened by a loud ringing of many bells and the appearance of the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley.

Jacob Marley
Marley, doomed to wear heavy chains and wander the earth witnessing misery, cautions Scrooge to change his ways. Marley shows Scrooge hundreds of ghosts, many of whom Scrooge knew when they were alive, suffering the same fate. He explains that their misery is caused by their powerlessness to interfere for the good in human affairs. In life, these people had been blind to the suffering around them, only to see, in death, what good they could have done. Marley warns Scrooge that his own chains are just as long and heavy, but that there is a chance of escaping his own horrific fate. Marley tells Scrooge he will be visited by three ghosts, the first at one o’clock. Marley departs and Scrooge convinces himself that the entire incident was only a dream.

The Ghost of Christmas Past
At the stroke of one, however, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears and takes Scrooge on a journey through his own life. During this visit to his past, Scrooge experiences a great deal of regret. He sees himself as a lonely young boy, a carefree young man and, finally, as a hardened adult. The ghost also shows Scrooge the woman he once loved. Scrooge begins to realize that the love of money became more important to him than the love of other people.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
Scrooge is next visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present. In the course of this visit, Scrooge sees his clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his large family. The Cratchits are poor, but happy and grateful for one another. Scrooge is struck with a foreign emotion – compassion – when he sees Bob’s youngest son, Tiny Tim, who is sickly and crippled. Scrooge and the Ghost then travel throughout the land, observing gatherings and party goers, miners on a distant moor and sailors in a ship at sea – all celebrating Christmas in their own way.

Almost immediately Scrooge and the Ghost find themselves at Scrooge’s nephew Fred’s home. Scrooge overhears Fred and his party guests discussing his ill-temper and solitary nature. Fred tells the gathered guests that he means to continue asking his uncle to Christmas dinner, despite his rude refusals. Scrooge begins to realize he is only cheating himself out of happy experiences by not visiting. The Ghost and Scrooge continue to view Christmases throughout the world – from homes to hospitals to jails. Scrooge witnesses that each person visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present feels a greater sense of joy and hope.

Finally, Scrooge notices two children clinging to the Ghost’s robes. Scrooge asks if they belong to the Ghost, who replies: "They are man’s. And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance, the girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree. But most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
The bell strikes twelve and Scrooge is visited by the third and final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. The Ghost, tall, shrouded in black and totally silent, shows Scrooge various people discussing the death of a man who was obviously disliked. A group of businessmen laugh at what a small funeral he was likely to have. Another group does nothing but mention his death casually. Scrooge then witnesses several servants selling the man’s stolen belongings. Scrooge realizes that “the case of this unhappy man might be my own.” Almost at once the scene changes and Scrooge is terrified to see the body of the plundered and uncared for man.
Scrooge, overcome, requests to see some emotion connected with the man’s death. The Ghost shows him a poor, young couple overcome with relief that their relentless creditor has died. To purge the previous scenes from his mind, Scrooge then demands to see some tenderness related to a death. The spirit conducts him to Bob Cratchit’s house. Scrooge realizes the quiet family is in mourning for the death of poor Tiny Tim. Scrooge, suspecting the end of the spirit’s visit, begs the Ghost to tell him the identity of the unfortunate deceased man. Without speaking a word, the Ghost takes Scrooge to a graveyard, where Scrooge sees the neglected grave – his own. In anguish he cries out to the Ghost for mercy, swearing to change the course of the future.

Redemption
Suddenly, Scrooge finds himself back in his own room and immediately sets out to make good on his promise. Bubbling with joy, he anonymously sends a large turkey to the Cratchit family, flags down the previous day’s charity solicitor and promises a large sum, goes to church and spends the afternoon with Fred’s family – much to their surprise and delight. The following day, catching Bob Cratchit coming in late to work, Scrooge surprises him by proposing to raise his salary and assist his struggling family.

Laura Welsh Berg*

Mother/Belle/Fred's Wife/Ensemble

Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Laura was most recently seen at the Hanna as Hamlet in Hamlet. In 2016, she appeared as Vera in And Then There Were None, Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Mrs. Hopkins/D.C. in My Fair Lady and Fabian in Twelfth Night. Other shows include The Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard III, Sweeney Todd, The Tempest, Hay Fever, All’s Well That Ends Well, Major Barbara, Macbeth, Into the Woods, Arsenic and Old Lace, Measure for Measure and She Stoops to Conquer. At Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, she appeared as Viola in Twelfth Night, Speed in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Chicago credits include The Farnsworth Invention at Timeline Theater, Arms and the Man at Centerstage and Mill Fire at Sheil Park. She has a BA in theater from Baldwin Wallace University and an MFA in acting from DePaul University. Many thanks to the incredible cast, crew and staff at GLT for all their support. Especially Lynn, whose love of Shakespeare, all those years ago, helped me find my own.Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Laura was most recently seen at the Hanna as Hamlet in Hamlet. In 2016, she appeared as Vera in And Then There Were None, Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Mrs. Hopkins/D.C. in My Fair Lady and Fabian in ...

Lynn Robert Berg*

Samuels/Ebenezer Scrooge

Sixteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previously at Great Lakes Theater: The Ghost and Player King in Hamlet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, The title role of Richard III, Frank Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Bishop in Les Misérables, Jonas Fogg in Sweeney Todd, Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale, Doctor Purgeon in The Imaginary Invalid, Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, Doctor Parker in Bat Boy: The Musical, Banquo in Macbeth, Caliban in The Tempest, Sandy Tyrell in Hay Fever, Marcus Lycus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and the Ghost of Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. Other credits: Friar Laurence/Montague in the Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in the Short Shakespeare! Macbeth tour with Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Don Armado in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dr. Watson in The Hound of the Baskervilles and Malvolio in Twelfth Night at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival; Hucklebee in The Fantasticks, Bill Walker in Major Barbara, Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew, Edmund in King Lear and Hastings in She Stoops to Conquer at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Prospero in The Tempest at Maine Shakespeare Festival; The Professor in All the Great Books (Abridged) at Delaware Theater Company; and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at Writer’s Theater in Chicago. He holds an MFA from the University of Delaware Professional Theater Training Program. SLL’M (✶ Thank you to our Character Sponsor, Patricia Glaeser, for the generous support of the Great Lakes Theateracting company.)Sixteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previously at Great Lakes Theater: The Ghost and Player King in Hamlet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, The title role of Richard III, Frank Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Bishop in Les Misérables,...

Seven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Originally from Wyoming, Neil earned a BA from Boise State University and an MFA in acting from Northern Illinois University. Regional theater work includes 10 seasons with Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Company of Fools, Boise Contemporary Theater, Idaho Dance Theatre, Opera Idaho, Seattle Novyi Theatre, People’s Light, Cadence Theatre Company, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare and Peninsula Players. His film credits are The Pact, Stygian, Coming Up for Air and The Big Burn, as well as his own short films produced under the name Dirt Hills Productions: Farfalle Bianche, Upper Fields, Flesh & Blood and Get in the Truck. In addition to acting, Neil paints and writes.Seven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Originally from Wyoming, Neil earned a BA from Boise State University and an MFA in acting from Northern Illinois University. Regional theater work includes 10 seasons with Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Company of Fools, Boise Contemporary Theater, Idaho Dance Theatre, Opera Idaho, Seattle Novyi Theatre, People’s Light, Cadence Theatre...

Aled Davies*

Second Charity Man/Mr. Fezziwig/Rich Man 1

Seventeen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previously for GLT: Snug/Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Father Dupin/Ensemble in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Marcellus/The Gravedigger in Hamlet, Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol, Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, The Old Actor in The Fantasticks, General Mackenzie in AndThenThereWereNone, Scrooge/Samuels in AChristmasCarol, King Lear in King Lear, Gonzalo in The Tempest, Chief Inspector Hubbard in Dial “M” for Murder, John Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Arvide Abernathy in Guys and Dolls, Capulet in Romeoand Juliet, Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap, Brabantio in Othello, The Earl of Caversham in An Ideal Husband, Sheriff Reynolds in Bat Boy:The Musical, Oberon/Theseus in A MidsummerNight’s Dream, Your Chairman in The Mystery ofEdwin Drood, Dorn in The Seagull, Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible, King of France in All’s Well That Ends Well, Prospero in The Tempest, David Bliss in Hay Fever, Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to theForum, Lady Bracknell in The Importance ofBeing Earnest, Julius Caesar in Julius Caesar, Claudius in Hamlet, Leonato in Much AdoAbout Nothing, Buckingham in Richard III, Topper in A Christmas Caroland others. Aled has been a proud and appreciative member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1984. Seventeen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previously for GLT: Snug/Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Father Dupin/Ensemble in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Marcellus/The Gravedigger in Hamlet, Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol, Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, The Old Actor in The Fantasticks,...

Jodi Dominick*

Cynthia/Mrs. Fezziwig/Laundress/Ensemble

Nine seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previous roles include Susy in Wait Until Dark, Fantine in Les Misérables, Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Molly Ralston in The Mousetrap, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Lady Chiltern in An Ideal Husband, Louison in The Imaginary Invalid, Mrs. Pearce in My Fair Lady and Prince Edward in Richard III. Eight seasons at The Idaho Shakespeare Festival, our sister company. Other credits include I Love You Because at the 14th Street Theater in Playhouse Square; Carrie The Musical, Passion and The Break Up Notebook at Beck Center. Other theaters: New World Stages, Hudson Backstage Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Hayworth Theatre, Dobama Theatre and The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Jodi is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music.Nine seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previous roles include Susy in Wait Until Dark, Fantine in Les Misérables, Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd,...

Jonathan Dyrud*

Young Scrooge/Nephew Fred/Ensemble

Four seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival: Hamlet in Hamlet, King Ferdinand in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Anthony Marston in And Then There Were None, Nephew Fred/Ensemble in A Christmas Carol, Edmund in King Lear, Tony Wendice in Dial “M” for Murder, Antonio in The Tempest. Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival: Antipholus of Ephesus in Comedy of Errors. New York: Proteus in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, (Hip to Hip Theater Company). Regional credits: Oregon Shakespeare Festival – Medvedenko in The Seagull, Froth and Friar Peter in Measure for Measure. TV/film: Verder in Big House. Training: Southern Oregon University. For the Jens!Four seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival: Hamlet in Hamlet, King Ferdinand in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Anthony Marston in And Then There Were None, Nephew Fred/Ensemble in A Christmas Carol, Edmund in King Lear, Tony Wendice in Dial “M” for Murder,...

Mandie Jenson*

Miss Elizabeth/Fan/Martha Cratchit/Ensemble

Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Mandie is thrilled to return to Great Lakes Theater for her second season in A Christmas Carol! She was most recently seen this summer in the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost as Maria. Favorite credits include Luciana in The Comedy of Errors (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival); Arabella in AnimalCrackers, Spring Grace in As You Like It, Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Oregon Shakespeare Festival School Visit Program); Sally Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Idaho Repertory Theatre); Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Virginia City Opera House). TV: My Crazy Love (The Oxygen Network), Suddenly Rich (TLC). She was The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2011 Rex Rabold Fellow and has her BFA in musical theater from The University of Idaho. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Love always to my CB.Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Mandie is thrilled to return to Great Lakes Theater for her second season in A Christmas Carol! She was most recently seen this summer in the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost as Maria. Favorite credits include Luciana in The...

Patrick John Kiernan

Streetsinger/Christmas Past/Christmas Future/Ensemble

Five seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Patrick is thrilled to return for another Christmas at Playhouse Square! Most recently, he appeared as Guildenstern in GLT’s Hamlet. Some favorite credits include Widge in The Shakespeare Stealer (Idaho Shakespeare Festival - Idaho Theater for Youth), Jake in Shiner (Good Luck Macbeth), Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival - Young Shakespeare) and the Narrator in Side by Side by Sondheim (Shadowland Stages). In addition to working onstage, Patrick is a sound designer and audio engineer whose work has appeared off-Broadway and in regional theaters around the country. Many, many thanks to the cast, crew, and staff at GLT for another wonderful holiday season!
.Five seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Patrick is thrilled to return for another Christmas at Playhouse Square! Most recently, he appeared as Guildenstern in GLT’s Hamlet. Some favorite credits include Widge in The Shakespeare Stealer (Idaho Shakespeare Festival - Idaho Theater for Youth), Jake in Shiner (Good Luck Macbeth), Mercutio in Romeo &...

Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Most recently, Doug portrayed a heartbreaking Polonius in Hamlet. Previous appearances include Holofernes in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dr. Armstrong in And Then There Were None, Kent in King Lear, several characters in Dial “M” for Murder, the title role in Macbeth and a widely acclaimed Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing. In several seasons with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, his roles have included Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, several Dukes, an Emperor in Amadeus and Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2. Locally, he played Jim Tyrone in A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Coach House Theatre and King Arthur in Spamalot at the Beck Center (opposite his real life Lady of the Lake, Jessica Cope). Other theaters include the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Alaska Repertory Theatre and the Central Dramatic Theatre Company of Hanoi, Vietnam. Doug is a proud graduate of the PTTP at the University of Delaware and a prouder member of Actors’ Equity and a proudest dad of Marley.Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Most recently, Doug portrayed a heartbreaking Polonius in Hamlet. Previous appearances include Holofernes in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dr. Armstrong in And Then There Were None, Kent in King Lear, several characters in Dial “M” for...

Jessie Cope Miller*

Debtor's Wife/Ensemble

Six seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Jessie is delighted to return to A Christmas Carol! Her latest role was Jaquenetta in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Other favorite roles include Abuela in Beck Center’s production of In The Heights, Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (Beck Center for the Arts), Sheila in Hair (Blank Canvas Theatre), Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly! (Porthouse Theatre), Leading Player in Pippin (Cain Park, Alma Theater) and the Witch in Into the Woods (Great Lakes Theater). She has also performed in many concerts and cabarets around Cleveland for the Cleveland Stage Alliance and The Musical Theater Project’s Song Is You! concert series. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and graduate of the Baldwin Wallace Music Theater Program. Many thanks go out to the entire Great Lakes Theater family. Much love to Dougfred, Marlowe and family. Six seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Jessie is delighted to return to A Christmas Carol! Her latest role was Jaquenetta in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Other favorite roles include Abuela in Beck Center’s production of In The Heights, Lady of...

David Anthony Smith*

Muggeridge/Christmas Present/Debtor/Ensemble

Fifteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: GLT audiences have seen him as Prospero in The Tempest, Iago in Othello, Jaques in As You Like It, Duke of Buckingham in Richard III, Muggeridge/The Ghost of Christmas Present/Debtor/Ensemble in A Christmas Carol, Viscount Goring in An Ideal Husband, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Macduff in Macbeth, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Sergius in Arms and the Man, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar and Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost. He has performed at the Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theater in San Diego, South Coast Repertory, for 17 seasons with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (title role in Henry V), Laguna Playhouse, Sierra Rep, Madison Rep and the Shakespeare festivals of Utah, Colorado, Garden Grove, Rhode Island, Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Forever and a day — Natalia.Fifteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: GLT audiences have seen him as Prospero in The Tempest, Iago in Othello, Jaques in As You Like It, Duke of Buckingham in Richard III, Muggeridge/The Ghost of Christmas...

Liam Stilson

Master Richard/Peter Cratchit/Dick Wilkins/Ensemble

Great Lakes Theater debut: Liam Stilson is overjoyed to be working with Great Lakes for the first time. He is delighted to portray the roles of Master Richard, Peter Cratchit, Dick Wilkins and Ensemble in A ChristmasCarol, a story close to his heart. His previous roles include Simon Stimson in Our Town (Baldwin Wallace University); Ed Livingood, Ernest Hemingway and Ensemble in Things as They Are (Playwrights Local); Melvin Wilder in The Diviners (Baldwin Wallace University); Ensemble in Incendiaries (Ohio City Theatre Project) and Michal Katurian in The Pillowman (Baldwin Wallace University). He is currently enrolled at Baldwin Wallace University where he studies classical acting technique in his sophomore year. Much love to Mom, Dad, Daniel, Tessa, Danyel and Julia! Now is the time to be alive!Great Lakes Theater debut: Liam Stilson is overjoyed to be working with Great Lakes for the first time. He is delighted to portray the roles of Master Richard, Peter Cratchit, Dick Wilkins and Ensemble in A ChristmasCarol, a story close to his heart. His previous roles include...

M.A. Taylor*

First Charity Man/Helmsman/Joe the Keeper/Ensemble

Fifteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Mark Anthony (aka M.A.) is ecstatic to be a part of this lovely Cleveland tradition. Previous credits include King Louis Xll/Ensemble, Hunchback of Notre Dame; Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Reynaldo, Hamlet; Charity Man/Old Joe, A Christmas Carol; Feste, Twelfth Night; Doolittle, My Fair Lady; Rogers, And Then There WereNone; Nathaniel, Love’s Labor’s Lost; Hugh Evans, Merry Wives of Windsor; Legles/Babet, Les Misérables; Le Beau/Oliver Martext, As You Like It; Beadle, Sweeney Todd; Lord Rivers, Richard III; Verges, Much Ado About Nothing; Guy, The Imaginary Invalid; Peter, Romeo andJuliet; Speed, The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Adam, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged); and Flute/Fairy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Also among his credits: Candy in Of Mice and Men (directed by Adrian Hall) for PTTP/Rep, Dracula for Boise Contemporary Theater in the title role; Launce, Two Gentlemen ofVerona; Gravedigger/Player King and Hamlet at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. He holds an MFA from the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP). He wishes to thank his families (both genetic & professional) for all their support and patience. May All your Holiday Wishes come true … and to All a Good Night!Fifteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Mark Anthony (aka M.A.) is ecstatic to be a part of this lovely Cleveland tradition. Previous credits include King Louis Xll/Ensemble, Hunchback of Notre Dame; Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Reynaldo, Hamlet; Charity Man/Old Joe, A Christmas...

Jeremy Hammel

Master William/Tiny Tim

Great Lakes Theater debut: Jeremy is 8 years old and in third grade at Chippewa Elementary in Brecksville. He is thrilled to be making his theatrical debut, and is honored to perform with Great Lakes Theater in this classic and beloved tale. Jeremy studies vocal performance with Amy Hanratty (Voice Variations). He also studies and performs vocals and keyboard with School of Rock Cleveland, and is a member of its audition-based rock band for kids up through eighth grade, the Major Minors, performing at various venues in the Cleveland area. His favorite rock singer of all time is Steve Perry of Journey. Jeremy is an avid tennis and ping pong player, and enjoys karaoke and kicking footballs. He thanks Avril Burg of Club Rock Cleveland for first putting him on stage with a band and a microphone at 4 years old, and Connie Gardner for his earliest training on the piano. Jeremy also thanks his family, friends, teachers and classmates for their support. He is grateful to everyone at Great Lakes Theater for this opportunity, for their mentoring and for memories to last a lifetime.
(✶This character sponsorship, made by an Anonymous Donor, is in honor of all children who courageously live with disabilities or illness and their families. “God bless us every one!”Great Lakes Theater debut: Jeremy is 8 years old and in third grade at Chippewa Elementary in Brecksville. He is thrilled to be making his theatrical debut, and is honored to perform with Great Lakes Theater in this classic and beloved tale. Jeremy studies vocal performance with Amy Hanratty (Voice Variations)....

Laurien Palmer

Soloist/Street Child

Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Laurien is delighted to be back at Great Lakes Theater to perform in A Christmas Carol. She is playing Soloist, a role she has always wanted to perform. She is excited to work with this fantastic, talented cast and crew! Laurien has performed in the off-Broadway production, This Way To Broadway, as a soloist and ensemble member and in Broadway Artists Alliance. Local roles include Esther Jane in A Christmas Story (Cleveland Play House), Skate Girl in A Christmas Carol (Great Lakes Theater), Ensemble in Godspell (Near West Theater), Children’s Choir in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (Westlake PAC), Clara in The Nutcracker – The Musical (Bassett Elementary) and Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Beck Center MTC). Laurien is a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and studies piano, dance, singing and acting. Love to Mom, Dad and Paul. Thank you for your love and support.Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Laurien is delighted to be back at Great Lakes Theater to perform in A Christmas Carol. She is playing Soloist, a role she has always wanted to perform. She is excited to work with this fantastic, talented cast and crew! Laurien has performed...

Lainey Rambert

Skate Girl/Ensemble

Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Lainey Rambert is a seventh-grader at Olmsted Falls Middle School. She is thrilled to return to A Christmas Carol, a show that won over her heart last year. Some of Lainey’s other favorite roles include Ophelia in A Shakespeare Capsulate, Narrator Girl in The Nutcracker, Tessie in Annie and Amaryllis in Music Man. When not acting, Lainey enjoys playing volleyball, singing, coding and reading. Lainey would like to thank her Mom, Dad, Stone and Grandpa for their love and support. She would also like to thank the cast, crew and staff of GLT; and Amy Hanratty for believing in her.Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Lainey Rambert is a seventh-grader at Olmsted Falls Middle School. She is thrilled to return to A Christmas Carol, a show that won over her heart last year. Some of Lainey’s other favorite roles include Ophelia in A Shakespeare Capsulate, Narrator...

Yumi Ndhlovu

Street Child/Swing

Great Lakes Theater debut: Yumi is an eighth-grader at Hathaway Brown School. Born in New York City, Yumi has lived in the Turks and Caicos Islands and now in Cleveland. She has appeared most recently as lead role Aurora in The Good Peaches, a collaboration between Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland Orchestra. Yumi also was recently in A Christmas Story as Helen and in The Crucible as Betty Parris with the Cleveland Play House. She has also played the role of Young Fiona in Shrek, the Musical with University School and Hathaway Brown, and was in Shrek, the Musical at Near West Theatre. Yumi has been in seven productions at Heights Youth Theatre, including James and the Giant Peach, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The King and I, Annie and The Wiz. Additionally, she was seen in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute. Yumi also loves social media, music video production, her friends and candy. She wrote and co-produced a music video called Girls. To find out more about Yumi, go to yumindhlovu.com.Great Lakes Theater debut: Yumi is an eighth-grader at Hathaway Brown School. Born in New York City, Yumi has lived in the Turks and Caicos Islands and now in Cleveland. She has appeared most recently as lead role Aurora in The Good Peaches, a collaboration between Cleveland Play House and the...

Ellie Ritterbusch

Miss Polly/Sarah Cratchit/Want

Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Ellie is thrilled to be returning to Great Lakes Theater in this wonderful holiday production of A Christmas Carol! Her previous credits include Disaster! (Ben/Lisa), Evita (Child Soloist) at Spotlights Theater; Xanadu (Andrews Sister), Mary Poppins (Ensemble), Show Boat (Young Kim) at Near West Theatre; and The Little Mermaid (Ariel) at 82nd Street Theatre. Ellie is in the seventh grade and studies vocal performance with Ryan Bergeron. In addition to singing and acting, she enjoys skiing, babysitting and spending time with friends and family. Ellie is extremely grateful to everyone at Great Lakes Theater for this amazing opportunity! She is also thankful to her friends and family for their love and support. Enjoy the show!Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Ellie is thrilled to be returning to Great Lakes Theater in this wonderful holiday production of A Christmas Carol! Her previous credits include Disaster! (Ben/Lisa), Evita (Child Soloist) at Spotlights Theater; Xanadu (Andrews Sister), Mary...

Brenna Sherman

Sled Boy/Boy Scrooge/Ignorance

Great Lakes Theater debut: Brenna is 8 years old and in the third grade. She is ecstatic to be working with Great Lakes Theater for the first time! Brenna watched GLT’s A Christmas Carol from the audience last year, making it a goal to be in the show someday. She’s been performing on stage since age 4, and her favorite roles include Molly in Annie (Brecksville Little Theatre) and Fan, Cratchit Kid and Want in A Christmas Carol (Medina County Show Biz). When not on stage, you might catch Brenna in commercials and the upcoming films Clovehitch (with Dylan McDermott) and A Walk with Grace (with Stephen Baldwin). She studies vocal performance with Amy Hanratty of Voice Variations; and ballet, tap and jazz at Dance Dimensions. She wants to thank the staff of GLT for this amazing opportunity and support from mom, dad and brother, Brady. Instagram: @brennashermanGreat Lakes Theater debut: Brenna is 8 years old and in the third grade. She is ecstatic to be working with Great Lakes Theater for the first time! Brenna watched GLT’s A Christmas Carol from the audience last year, making it a goal to be in the show someday. She’s been performing on stage...

Lindsey Smits

Miss Abigail/Belinda Cratchit/Ensemble

Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Lindsey is 12 years old and in the sixth grade at Olmsted Falls Middle School. She is thrilled to be returning to perform with this talented cast and in her favorite holiday show! Lindsey was seen as Annie in the Brecksville Little Theater production of Annie this spring. Previous roles also include Jane in Mary Poppins, Brigitta in The Sound of Music, JoJo in Seussical and Young Eponine in Les Misérables. Lindsey has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She currently studies ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical/contemporary dance at Rock City Dance, and she is a member of Rock City’s Lyrical and Hip Hop competition teams. Lindsey studies vocal performance under the direction of Amy Hanratty, and she is a longstanding member of Voice Variations’ Encore vocal performance team. She has performed the national anthem at Lake Erie Crushers games, as well as other community and sporting events. Off-stage, Lindsey studies piano and enjoys fashion design. She dedicates her performance to all of her friends at Olmsted Falls Middle School, and sends her love to her grandmother.Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Lindsey is 12 years old and in the sixth grade at Olmsted Falls Middle School. She is thrilled to be returning to perform with this talented cast and in her favorite holiday show! Lindsey was seen as Annie in the Brecksville Little Theater production of...

Xander Smits

Master William/Tiny Tim

Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Xander is 10 years old and in the fourth grade at Olmsted Falls Intermediate School. He is honored and excited to play the iconic role of Tiny Tim alongside such an incredible cast and many friends!
His previous roles include Delivery Boy in A Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater; Johnny in Dear Edwina, Jr. and Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man. Xander studies vocal performance under the direction of Amy Hanratty. He also studies piano and drums at Northwoods Music. Xander recently filmed his first Hollywood movie, as well as an episode for an NBC show. He also acted as an extra in Hollidaysburgh (2014). In his free time, Xander enjoys writing, and he participates in his school newspaper and in science and chess clubs. He is a Boy Scout, holding the rank of Webelo, and plays basketball and golf. Xander dedicates his performance to all of his friends at Olmsted Falls Intermediate School, and sends love to his grandparents. (✶This character sponsorship, made by an Anonymous Donor, is in honor of all children who courageously live with disabilities or illness and their families. “God bless us every one!”)Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Xander is 10 years old and in the fourth grade at Olmsted Falls Intermediate School. He is honored and excited to play the iconic role of Tiny Tim alongside such an incredible cast and many friends!
His previous roles include Delivery Boy in A Christmas...

Chase Christopher Zadd

Master Robert/James Cratchit/Adolescent Scrooge/Ensemble

Five seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Chase is 11 years old and in sixth grade at Bethany Lutheran School. He is beyond thrilled to be returning for his fifth season in this year’s production of A Christmas Carol! Chase’s previous credits include Near West Theatre in Show Boat and Xanadu; Cassidy Theatre in Titanic, Alicein Wonderland, Show Business and Into the Woods (Jack). Chase was also the understudy for Colin Craven in Great Lakes Theater’s production of A Secret Garden. He has learned so much from Great Lakes Theater and considers them his second family. Chase’s love of acting, dancing and singing shows through his creativity at home and school. He truly appreciates everyone who has helped him realize his dream of musical theater and loves and thanks his family and friends for their ongoing support and love. Thank you to Great Lakes Theater for this awesome opportunity!Five seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Chase is 11 years old and in sixth grade at Bethany Lutheran School. He is beyond thrilled to be returning for his fifth season in this year’s production of A Christmas Carol! Chase’s previous credits include Near West Theatre in Show...

* Members of the Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Charles Fee

Producing Artistic Director

Sixteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Directing credits at GLT: Hamlet (2017 and 2003), And Then There Were None, Dial “M” for Murder, Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit, Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hay Fever, The Importance of Being Earnest, Arms and the Man and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Charles holds a uniqueposition in the American theater as producingartistic director of three independently operated,professional theater companies: Great LakesTheater in Cleveland, Ohio (since 2002); IdahoShakespeare Festival in Boise, Idaho (since 1991);and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival in Incline Village, Nevada (since 2010). His appointments have resulted in a dynamic and groundbreakingproducing model for the companies, in whichmore than 60 plays have been shared since 2002.In 2009, Charles was honored to receive recognition for his leadership by the Cleveland ArtsPrize as a recipient of the Martha Joseph Award. Other awards include The Mayor’s and Governor’s awards for Excellence in the Arts, Idaho. From 1988 to 1992, he held the position of artistic director at the Sierra Repertory Theatre in California. He has also worked with The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, the Milwaukee and Missouri repertory theaters, Actor’s Theatre of Phoenix and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. In addition to his work with the companies in Ohio, Idaho and Nevada, Charles is active within the community. He has served as a member of the strategic planning committee for the Morrison Center, as producer of the FUNDSY Award Gala (’96, ’98 and 2000), and as producer of the 1996 Idaho Governor’s Awards in the Arts. Charles has served on the board of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Downtown Rotary Club. He received his BA from the University of the Pacific and Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Along with his wife, Lidia and daughter, Alexa, Charles resides in Boise, Cleveland and Lake Tahoe –– a feat that is only possible because of the incredible love and support of his family, and the generous communities he serves!Sixteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Directing credits at GLT: Hamlet (2017 and 2003), And Then There Were None, Dial “M” for Murder, Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit, Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hay Fever, The Importance of Being Earnest, Arms and the Man and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Charles holds a uniqueposition in the...

Gerald Freedman

Director/Adaptor

Thirty seasons with Great Lakes Theater:
Gerald Freedman is Dean Emeritus of then-School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, one of the leading undergraduate acting conservatories in the nation. An Obie Award winner and the first American invited to direct at the Globe Theatre in London, he is regarded internationally for his direction of productions of classic drama, musicals, operas, new plays and television. He served as leading director of Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival from 1960 to 1971, the last four years as artistic director. He was co-artistic director of John Houseman’s The Acting Company from 1974 to 1977; artistic director of the American Shakespeare Theatre from 1978 to 1979; and artistic director of Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1985 to 1997. Gerald has staged 29 of Shakespeare’s plays, along with dozens of other world classics. He made theater history with his off-Broadway premiere of the landmark rock musical Hair, which opened the Public Theater in 1967. Broadway direction includes TheRobber Bridegroom; The Grand Tour; the revival of West Side Story, co-directed with Jerome Robbins; the premiere of Arthur Miller’s TheCreation of the World and Other Business;and Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Gerald also directed opera productions for the Opera Society of Washington (Kennedy Center), the San Francisco Opera Company and the New York City Opera. Prior to assuming his current position at UNC School of the Arts, he taught at Yale and Juilliard. A native of Lorain, Ohio, he received both his B.S. and his M.A. (summa cum laude) from Northwestern University, where he trained with the legendary Alvina Krause. In NY, he studied classical voice with Emmy Joseph and acting/directing at The Actors Studio.Thirty seasons with Great Lakes Theater:
Gerald Freedman is Dean Emeritus of then-School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, one of the leading undergraduate acting conservatories in the nation. An Obie Award winner and the first American invited to direct at the Globe Theatre in London, he is regarded internationally for his direction of productions of classic drama, musicals, operas, new plays and television. He served as leading director of...

Tom Ford

Staging

Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Directing: Upcoming – A new musical adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days adapted by Alex Syiek, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stuart Little, The Shakespeare Stealer,The Comedy of Errors (Idaho Shakespeare Festival Education Tours), The Fantasticks and Straw Hat Revue (New London Barn Playhouse) and Really Rosie (The Night Kitchen). Acting: Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Sir Andrew Aguecheeck in Twelfth Night,Wargrave in And Then There Were None, Dull in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, Fool in King Lear, Stephano in The Tempest, Sidney Bruhl in Deathtrap, Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Thénardier in Les Misérables, Sweeney in SweeneyTodd, Argan in TheImaginary Invalid, Mr. Paravicini in The Mousetrap, Baker in Intothe Woods, Pseudolus in A FunnyThing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Casca in Julius Caesar. Idaho Shakespeare Festival: Hunchback, Midsummer, My Fair Lady, Twelfth Night, And Then There Were None, The Tempest, The Secret Garden, King Lear, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, Richard III, The Imaginary Invalid, The Winter’s Tale, The Mousetrap, Into theWoods, Macbeth, A Funny Thing Happened on theWay to the Forum, The Merry Wives of Windsor and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Other theaters include Boise Contemporary Theater, Portland Stage Company and New London Barn Playhouse. Broadway: Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s By Jeeves at the Helen Hayes Theater.
Twelve seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Directing: Upcoming – A new musical adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days adapted by Alex Syiek, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stuart Little, The Shakespeare Stealer,The Comedy of Errors (Idaho Shakespeare Festival Education Tours), The Fantasticks and Straw Hat Revue (New London Barn Playhouse) and Really Rosie (The Night Kitchen). Acting: Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry Higgins in My...

Mary Jo Dondlinger

Lighting Designer

Thirty seasons with Great Lakes Theater:
Career design credits include productions for Circle in the Square, The Irish Repertory Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, TheatreWorks (Hartford) and many others. Mary Jo has long been associated with the York Theatre Company off-Broadway where she designed the original production of The Musical of Musicals(The Musical!), as well as many other musicals and plays. Most recent credits at Great Lakes Theater are The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Forever Plaid, The Fantasticks, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd and Sondheim on Sondheim.Thirty seasons with Great Lakes Theater:
Career design credits include productions for Circle in the Square, The Irish Repertory Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, TheatreWorks (Hartford) and many others. Mary Jo has long been associated with the...

John Ezell

Scenic Designer

Forty-one seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Award-winning associate artistic director and director of design at GLT under Vincent Dowling, Gerald Freedman and James Bundy. He has designed for Broadway; New York Shakespeare Festival; NY Public Theatre; Crossroads Theatre; Roundabout Theatre; Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger; Williamstown; Berkshire; Old Globe; Coconut Grove; Asolo State Theatre; Arizona Theatre Company; Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Dallas Theatre Center; Indiana and Kansas City repertory theaters; Cincinnati Playhouse; Hong Kong Repertory Theatre; Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa; the Istanbul Cultural Olympics; Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts; Lyric Opera; Blackstone Theatre and Second City in Chicago; Cincinnati Ballet; Royal Danish Ballet; Royal Theatre in Copenhagen; Swedish Riksteater and the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm; and CBS, PBS-TV and Swedish State Television. His drawings have been exhibited in New York, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Prague and Brussels. His work received the Award for Experimental Television Art in Milan, Italy; two Corporation for Public Broadcasting Awards for Excellence; and 15 national Critic’s Circle awards, including the 2011-2012 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for best professional sets at the historic Westport Country Playhouse. He is a Fellow of the College of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Forty-one seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Award-winning associate artistic director and director of design at GLT under Vincent Dowling, Gerald Freedman and James Bundy. He has designed for Broadway; New York Shakespeare Festival; NY Public Theatre; Crossroads Theatre; Roundabout Theatre; Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger; Williamstown; Berkshire; Old Globe; Coconut Grove; Asolo State Theatre; Arizona Theatre Company; Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Dallas Theatre Center; Indiana and Kansas City repertory theaters; Cincinnati Playhouse; Hong Kong Repertory Theatre; Market...

Gene Emerson Friedman

Scenic Designer

Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Gene has designed Gerald Freedman’s adaptations of A Christmas Carol and People WhoLed to My Plays, as well as The DearestFriends, The Boor, The Enemies, The Worldof Sholom Aleichem and What the ButlerSaw (Great Lakes Theater Festival). Other designs include Calderon’s Life is a Dream (New York’s Lincoln Center); Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeoand Juliet (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Second City Does Arizona (Arizona Theatre Company); A Christmas Carol, Deathof a Salesman, Master Class, I’m NotRappaport (Kansas City Rep); The MusicMan, Carousel, La Cage aux Folles (Stages- Saint Louis); Death and the Maiden (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). Gene is architectural historian of the Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe [1629] at Zuni Pueblo, and he serves as archivist and curator of the Casa de Santo Nino also at Zuni. He is a tenured associate professor of design at UMKC. His fine art, Stages Of Conversion, has been seen at multiple galleries.
Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Gene has designed Gerald Freedman’s adaptations of A Christmas Carol and People WhoLed to My Plays, as well as The DearestFriends, The Boor, The Enemies, The Worldof Sholom...

Thirty-two at Great Lakes Theater: Stan Kozak, among his more than 50 design credits, most recently designed sound for BatBoy: the Musical, The Mystery of EdwinDrood and Comedy of Errors. His work in 1979 and 1981 with Geraldine Fitzgerald on Streetsongs at GLT led to the original cast album. Mr. Kozak was the resident sound designer for four seasons at the Porthouse Theatre Company, including productions of Driving Miss Daisy, Niteclub Confidential and And a Nightingale Sang. His collaborations with Victoria Bussert at Baldwin-Wallace College include productions of Chess, Hair, Cabaret, West Side Story, Tommy in Concert, the Ohio premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion and one of the first nonprofessional productions of Phantom of the Opera. For Cain Park, his design credits include SecretGarden; Fiddler on the Roof; Bat Boy: the Musical; Tick, tick...Boom; Nine; The Wiz; and Pippin. Mr. Kozak has also designed sound for Dobama Theater, Cleveland Opera, Beck Center, the Jewish Community Theater and TrueNorth Cultural Arts. He has served as sound designer for the All-City Musical for the last nine seasons, as well as for the Ideastream Gala concert with Bebe Neuwirth in 2005. He was honored to be among the first group of LORT sound designers to achieve recognition in USA 829.
Thirty-two at Great Lakes Theater: Stan Kozak, among his more than 50 design credits, most recently designed sound for BatBoy: the Musical, The Mystery of EdwinDrood and Comedy of Errors. His work in 1979 and 1981 with Geraldine Fitzgerald on

Jessica B. Lucas

Assistant Stage Manager

Six seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previous assistant stage management and production assistant credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, King Lear, Dial “M” for Murder, Les Miserables, A Christmas Carol and Deathtrap with Great Lakes Theater; And Then There Were None, Love’s Labor’s Lost, My Fair Lady, Dial “M” for Murder, Secret Garden and King Lear with Idaho Shakespeare Festival; and Luna Gale with Cleveland Play House. Previous stage management credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Wait Until Dark with Great Lakes Theater; Wait Until Dark, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Twelfth Night and The Misanthrope with Cleveland Play House/CWRU MFA Program; and Memphis, Rent and Aida with the All-City Musical program. Jessica earned her BA in theater from the University of Scranton, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. GF, you are my favorite.
Six seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Previous assistant stage management and production assistant credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, King Lear, Dial “M” for Murder, Les Miserables, A Christmas Carol and Deathtrap with Great Lakes Theater; And Then There Were None, Love’s Labor’s Lost, My Fair Lady, Dial “M” for Murder,...

Tom Mardikes

Sound Designer

Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Tom Mardikes most recently designed sound for GLT’s summer 2005 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. His past designs have been for Julius Caesar, The Dybbuk, King Lear, Hamlet and The Cherry Orchard. He has worked on more than 250 professional productions nationwide, where he has designed for Kansas City (formerly Missouri) Rep, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Starlight Theatre, the Unicorn Theatre, the Dallas Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout, Buffalo Studio Arena, Alley Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and Shakespeare Santa Cruz. In the spring of 2015, he designed sound for Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing for Repertory Theatre St. Louis and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He is the head of graduate sound design training and the chair of the nationally prominent professional theater-training program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2005, he co-founded Kansas City Actors Theatre that has successfully produced acclaimed productions with its artist-led, artist-driven mission.
Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Tom Mardikes most recently designed sound for GLT’s summer 2005 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. His past designs have been for Julius Caesar, The Dybbuk, King Lear, Hamlet and The Cherry Orchard....

James Scott

Costume Designer

Twenty-nine seasons with Great Lakes Theater: James Scott has designed costumes for productions of works by Shakespeare, Moliere, Ibsen, Chekhov, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini at regional theaters and opera houses across the country. Among his favorite productions are Love’s Labour’s Lost for the New York Shakespeare Festival; TenLittle Indians, Arcadia, The Miracle Worker and The Most Happy Fella for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; The Merchant of Venice for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival; Norma and Il trovatore for the Minnesota Opera; Il barbiere di Siviglia for the Washington Opera; MacBeth, Othello and The Taming of the Shrew for the Acting Company’s national tours; Funny Girl,Fiddler on the Roof and The Umbrellas ofCherbourg for the Sundance Theatre; and Sweeney Todd, I pagliacci, and Il viaggio aReims for the Portland Opera in Oregon. His production credits for Great Lakes Theater span more than 20 years, and include Romeo and Juliet, Who’s Afraid of VirginiaWoolf?, Rough Crossing, As You Like It and A Little Night Music. Mr. Scott is a graduate of New York and Brown universities, and attended the School of Law at The City University of New York. He is also an elite figure-skater and is thrilled that Cleveland hosted the Gay Games in 2014. He would like to dedicate the design for this production in memory of Susan Gregg, director of Fallen Angels for Great Lakes Theater.Twenty-nine seasons with Great Lakes Theater: James Scott has designed costumes for productions of works by Shakespeare, Moliere, Ibsen, Chekhov, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini at regional theaters and opera houses across the country. Among his favorite productions are Love’s Labour’s Lost for the New York Shakespeare Festival; TenLittle Indians, Arcadia, The Miracle Worker and

David Shimotakahara

Choreographer

Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: David Shimotakahara was a member of the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Repertory Ballet, Kathryn Posin Dance Company and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. He performed with Ohio Ballet under the direction of Heinz Poll from 1983-1998. In 1998, he founded GroundWorks Dance Theater, for which he is Executive, Artistic Director. Based in Cleveland, the company is committed to creating and producing new work in dance. Mr. Shimotakahara has choreographed for opera and theater with Cleveland Opera, Great Lakes Theater, Cleveland Play House and the Dallas Theater Center. He has received seven Individual Artist Fellowships for Choreography from the Ohio Arts Council. In 1998, he received a McKnight Foundation Fellowship from the Minnesota Dance Alliance to create new work in the Minneapolis, St. Paul communities. Mr. Shimotakahara was awarded the 2000 Cleveland Arts Prize for Dance. In 2002, his work with GroundWorks Dance Theater was voted “One of 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine. In 2007, he received the OhioDance award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of the Dance Artform. In 2010 and 2014, Mr. Shimotakahara was a recipient of a Creative Workforce Fellowship, a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: David Shimotakahara was a member of the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Repertory Ballet, Kathryn Posin Dance Company and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. He performed with Ohio Ballet under the direction of Heinz Poll from 1983-1998. In 1998, he founded GroundWorks Dance Theater, for which he is Executive, Artistic Director. Based in Cleveland, the company is committed to creating and producing new work in dance. Mr. Shimotakahara has choreographed for opera and theater...

Cynthia Stillings

Lighting Designer

Twenty-seven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Cynthia Stillings designs regionally and nationally, and designed the Great Lakes Theater premiere of Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders. Opera and dance credits include Sweeney Todd, Carmen,Of Mice and Men, Man of La Mancha and Turandot for Cleveland Opera, where she was resident lighting designer; Tartuffe for Skylight Opera Theatre; and An American Festival for the Cincinnati Ballet. Regional theater credits include Utah Shakespearean Festival, where she designed The Matchmaker, Candida and the world premiere of the new musical Lend Me aTenor, the Musical; Madison Repertory Theatre; Porthouse Theatre; Cain Park Theatre; The Contemporary American Theatre Company; Phoenix Theatre Circle and an award-winning production of Assassins for Players Theater Columbus. Ms. Stillings is currently Associate Dean of the College of the Arts at Kent State University.Twenty-seven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Cynthia Stillings designs regionally and nationally, and designed the Great Lakes Theater premiere of Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders. Opera and dance credits include Sweeney Todd, Carmen,Of Mice and Men, Man of La Mancha and Turandot for Cleveland Opera, where she was resident lighting designer; ...

Robert Waldman

Music Adaptor and Arranger

Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Robert Waldman has written primarily for the theater. He began his career as a protégé of Frank Loesser, and his music has been heard in Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Cleveland Play House and Edgardo Mine at the Guthrie Theater, as well as in GLT’s production of Glass Menagerie; in New York in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Driving Miss Daisy, The Heiress,Voices in the Dark; and Lincoln Center’s AbeLincoln in Illinois, Ivanov, Dinner at Eight, TheRivals, Jon Robin Baitz’ A Fair Country and TenUnknowns. Most recently, his work was heard in Wendy Wasserstein’s Third, David Mamet’s ALife in the Theatre and Peter Parnell’s The Riseand Rise of Daniel Rocket. Waldman composed the score for Broadway’s Here’s Where I Belong and The Robber Bridegroom, which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, as well as winning most recently the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for OutstandingRevival, and Florida’s Poinciana and Parker Playhouse’s revue of Lois Wyse’s Funny You Don’t Look Like aGrandmother. His music has been heard in Arthur Laurents’ 2 Lives; Hartford Stage’s musical, America’s Sweetheart; Long Wharf ’s As YouLike It and The School for Scandal; Washington Shakespeare Theater’s Richard II and TheCountry Wife; as well as the Kennedy Center musical, Swing. Performances of Mr. Waldman’s compositions have been heard in films, on television, in ballets and in numerous commercials and concert halls. Illustrated collections of some 40 of his piano compositions for children have been published by G. Schirmer — among them A Swing Bag, A Rag Bag, A ¾ Bag and ASanta Bag. He has received a National Endowment for the Arts grant in musical theater, the Dramatists Guild of America’s Flora Roberts Award for Outstanding Music for the Theater and the JEFF Award in Chicago for Best Original Music for Driving Miss Daisy.
Twenty-nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater: Robert Waldman has written primarily for the theater. He began his career as a protégé of Frank Loesser, and his music has been heard in Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Cleveland Play House and Edgardo Mine at the Guthrie Theater, as well as in GLT’s production of Glass Menagerie;...

Matthew Webb

Music Director

Eleven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Matthew is a graduate of the Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music, resides in New York City and hails from Cordova, Illinois. This is his seventh year as music director of AChristmas Carol in the Ohio Theatre. Previously at Great Lakes Theater: Forever Plaid, Hamlet, The Fantasticks, Sweeney Todd,Sondheim on Sondheim, Guys and Dolls, Cabaret,Bat Boy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Into theWoods, Macbeth, Two Gentlemen of Verona and AFunny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He is currently the music supervisor for the acclaimed corporate entertainment group, The Water Coolers, and has performed for such clients as AT&T, Adobe, Citibank, Toastmasters, Gogo Air, Pitney Bowes and Dunkin Brands. For two years, he created the sound design for Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespearience, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest, and their productions of Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing. He sends abundant love and gratitude to Tom, Sara, Charlie and his amazing parents, Carol and Jerry. Merry Christmas!
Eleven seasons with Great Lakes Theater: Matthew is a graduate of the Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music, resides in New York City and hails from Cordova, Illinois. This is his seventh year as music director of AChristmas Carol in the Ohio Theatre. Previously at Great Lakes Theater: Forever Plaid, Hamlet, The Fantasticks, Sweeney Todd,

Monday, December 01, 2008

...richly deserves its title as Cleveland's most popular holiday play...

"While 'A Christmas Carol' certainly can seem like a stale old chestnut, this one-hour-and-45-minute production is a deep, oxygen-rich breath of winter-fresh air...awe-inspiring scenic design...gorgeous period costume design ...wonderful theatrical special effects...brilliant individual and ensemble performances...This year's rendition of 'A Christmas Carol' is still a gift worth giving and receiving."

Friday, December 01, 2017

Great Lakes bakes up another wonderful 'Christmas Carol'

By Bob Abelman, The News Herald

For those who crave comfort and joy during the holiday season, GLT’s “A Christmas Carol” is a gift that keeps on giving.

Bah, humbug! The very name Scrooge has become a part of our lexicon, as in "Don't be a . . ."

We have all seen Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" so many times, we think we know it by heart.

We've seen actors on stage do it, and Alastair Sim do it and George C. Scott do it, and Albert Finney do it, and Bill Murray do it, and Mickey Mouse do it, and Mr.Magoo do it  even Barbie has stepped into the cruel lead role for a movie.

We have all seen "A Christmas Carol" so many times, we have ceased to be aware of what we are seeing, and hearing.

We see the figgy pudding, the warm and cozy English Christmas, the spooky ghosts, the cute Tiny Tim, the overnight transformation, the happy ending. Seeing it is a comfortable holiday ritual, one we don't put much thought into.

Until perhaps, we see it fresh through they eyes of a child  as I did Saturday night, taking my 6-year-old daughter to her first viewing of the spirited classic.

Great Lakes Theater's marvelous adaptation, now in its 25th year, was the perfect introduction to Dickens' masterpiece: wonderfully balanced between the festive and serious, the light-hearted and dark, the fun and the scary.

The production, staged for the third time by Artistic Associate Sara Bruner, features a fantastic set. There's Scrooge's sparse office and bedroom, lovely English street scenes, ornamental Victorian drawing rooms and the haunting cemetery. The costumes are sumptuous, from the ladies gowns to the ghosts' robes. And the supernatural elements are handled with aplomb, suitably surprising with their smoke and chains and ghostly arrivals, but never hokey.

The scene in which the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a deserted moor where miners live in horrifying conditions yet gather to sing carols is especially moving. It's presented with star-like twinkling lights covering the back of the stage, the barely lit cast holding candles as they sing their heavenly songs and the ghost tells Scrooge of their horrific lives.

The production by former Artistic Director Gerald Freedman remains fresh, a winky tale within a tale that begins with the Cleveland family on Christmas Eve in their Victorian parlor. Scampy Master William (who will become Tiny Tim and was aptly played Saturday by 7-year-old Carly Marie Nelson with just the right amount of cuteness), begs to stay up and is allowed to join the family's reading of "A Christmas Carol."

William becomes the stand-in for the audience, the child hearing the story for the first time  and hopefully inspiring the adult who has seen it all before to open their eyes to the play's full meaning.

Like everything the most progressive Dickens wrote, there is a social point to "A Christmas Carol"  a quite serious one, told within the framework of a holiday event.

So begins the reading of his book by Mother (Laura Welsh Berg, also Belle and Mrs. Cratchit): "I have endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humor with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me."

Social reformer Dickens pulled no punches when describing the depth of Scrooge's cruelty, as when charity workers come to ask for alms.

"At this festive season of the year . . . Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.
"Are there no prisons?"

"Plenty of prisons..."

"And the workhouses. Are they still in operation?"

"Both very busy, sir..."

"Those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

It's a shocking sequence, to which we have become enured over multiple viewings. But it shocked the child in the seat next to me  and made Dickens' point new again.

A later segment about Scrooge's debtors praising his death by saying no one more cruel could have possibly taken on their debt can't help but recall the modern financial crisis. It shows again how timeless, and relevant, Dickens' concerns are  whether or not we want to admit it.

And the infamous, heartbreaking street urchins of Ignorance and Want clinging to the Ghost of Christmas Present should shock viewers of all ages - as should the threat of Tiny Tim's death due to poverty.

"They are Man's," intones David Anthony Smith as the towering spirit, richly played with horror and mirth. " This boy is Ignorance and this girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."

Fortunately, as Dickens wrote in his most famous story, the writing was erased, at least for his evolving protagonist.

Aled Davies, stepping into Scrooge's nightshirt for the sixth year, handles his change of heart with great nuance, hinting at the heartbreak that formed him in the childhood reminiscences with just a twist of mouth and the break in a word. Later, his glee at finding out it's not too late to have a change of heart or send a Christmas turkey is palpable and believable.

This is after all a holiday tale, one with a happy ending and a simple message apparent to even a child  perhaps especially a child: "Share."By Laura DeMarco

Bah, humbug! The very name Scrooge has become a part of our lexicon, as in "Don't be a . . ."

We have all seen Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" so many times, we think we know it by heart.

We've seen actors on stage do it, and Alastair Sim do it and George C. Scott do it, and Albert Finney do it, and Bill Murray do it, and Mickey...

Monday, December 16, 2013

"My two daughters and I ended up spending the entire day together..."

By Amy (audience member)

"[A Christmas Carol] was just fabulous! My two daughters and I ended up spending the entire day together - a rarity with two teenagers. My eldest daughter (16) announced that she cannot wait to come back! You are an inspiration and a wonderful 'memory maker' for our family." There's one week left to create your memory!

Monday, December 16, 2013

"Oh my gosh I have told everyone how great "A Christmas Carol" was!"

By Peggy (an audience member)

Oh my gosh I have told everyone how great "A Christmas Carol" was! Thank you so much for a wonderful evening! I was a lucky member of the Holy Angels choir so I was there with a large group of friends. We enjoyed singing prior to the show and absolutely loved the show. It was frightening, sweet, beautiful, tender and funny! I have always loved the message and the words of Dickens. But your presentation made it all even more special. That sweet little boy was as adorable as the man who played Scrooge was mean! LOVED it!! Oh my gosh I have told everyone how great "A Christmas Carol" was! Thank you so much for a wonderful evening! I was a lucky member of the Holy Angels choir so I was there with a large group of friends. We enjoyed singing prior to the show and absolutely loved the show. It was frightening, sweet, beautiful, tender and funny! I have always loved the message and the words...

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

"...no one did it better than Cleveland..."

By Michael (an audience member)

My wife and I attended the evening production of A Christmas Carol December 14. Entering the playhouse square main building and encountering the festive trees and decor set the evening off on just the right note. To then be surprised by the Chorus singing Carols just took it to the next level of real Christmas Joy. But when we experienced the play, we were stunned by the outstanding costumes and special effects. We have seen the Christmas Carol in a number of different venues and cities and we both agreed, no one did it better than Cleveland. Thank you for helping us experience the spirit of the season. My wife and I attended the evening production of A Christmas Carol December 14. Entering the playhouse square main building and encountering the festive trees and decor set the evening off on just the right note. To then be surprised by the Chorus singing Carols just took it to the next level of real Christmas Joy. But when we experienced the play, we were stunned by the outstanding costumes and...

Monday, December 16, 2013

"The show was great..."

By Jennifer (an audience member)

The show was great, the ghosts were scary as they should be!

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

"We will highly recommend this play to our friends!"

By Nancy (audience member)

We attended you production last Friday evening and thought it was wonderful!!!!!! It set the tone for our Christmas season. All actors and actresses were wonderful and the venue is great!!! We will highly recommend this play to our friends! The Avon School choir was also enjoyable. Please pass on our praise to them as well.

Friday, December 07, 2012

"...absolutely fabulous ..."

By Kory (radio, The New 102)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL is absolutely fabulous and will become a holiday tradition for you after your first time experiencing it. Why not start this year?

Monday, December 16, 2013

"We had a fabulous time. Excellent!!"

By Donna (and audiene member)

We had a fabulous time. The play was all that it should be!! Excellent!! The staff...was friendly and very accomadating. We will return, hopefully, soon.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

"The actors, sets, lighting and costumes were outstanding."

By Kathleen McGrath (audience member)

I took my grandchildren (ages 12 and 9) to see Christmas Carol last Sunday afternoon. It was their first play other than live shows for young children and they thoroughly enjoyed it! The actors, sets, lighting and costumes were outstanding. It was a wonderful prelude to the holidays.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"It's pure magic!"

By Vicky (audience email)

AS always, we enjoyed the performance of A Christmas Carol very much. It is my favorite thing to see around Christmas time. I love the Great Lakes Theater presentation! It's pure magic! P.S The staff and ushers were also very friendly and helpful. Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

"I am, time and time again, in AWE of the sheer fabulousness of the production"

By Laura (audience email)

I am, time and time again, in AWE of the sheer fabulousness of the production of A Christmas Carol. My mom and I see it EVERY year together to celebrate the season, and remind ourselves of what is TRULY important! THANK YOU, from the actors to the score to the set, all top notch! laura

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

"...amazing! Thank you. We will be back again soon."

By Ron & Kathy (patron email)

What a wonderful play! The actors and scenery were outstanding, Our congratulations to your entire staff. From the time we entered the beautifully decorated Ohio Theatre to the time the play ended, we really enjoyed ourselves. We brought our daughter and son-in-law who live in Boston to this event with us. It is one we will always remember....amazing! Thank you. We will be back again soon.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"We look forward to this event every year..."

By Todd Maurer (audience member)

"Christmas Carol Staff, I have been going to a Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater for the last 17+ years and the experience has been a staple in my family for years. My wife and I have recently added my Daughter to this great event and will soon be including my 3 other children. We look forward to this event every year and it never gets old. Thank you for helping us celebrate Christmas with this Classic production. We are looking forward to many more years to come. Keep up the great work! "Christmas Carol Staff, I have been going to a Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater for the last 17+ years and the experience has been a staple in my family for years. My wife and I have recently added my Daughter to this great event and will soon be including my 3 other children. We look forward to this event every year and it never gets old. Thank you for...

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

"A wonderful way to begin the Christmas season."

By Ken (audience email)

Great performance as usual. We have been coming too many years to count. Each year we bring our grandchildren and one or two others. Everyone loves it. A wonderful way to begin the Christmas season.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

"I have to say it was a wonderful experience."

By Penny (audience email)

I brought my son to the Ohio Theater last Saturday for the matinee of A Christmas Carol. I have to say it was a wonderful experience. He is nine years old and loved the show. We were fortunate enough to have 2nd row seats so we could see everything up close. He was fascinated with the actor that played Scrooge because all the lines he had to remember. We truly enjoyed our day. Thanks. I brought my son to the Ohio Theater last Saturday for the matinee of A Christmas Carol. I have to say it was a wonderful experience. He is nine years old and loved the show. We were fortunate enough to have 2nd row seats so we could see everything up close. He was fascinated with the actor that played Scrooge because all the lines he had to remember. We truly...

Monday, December 19, 2011

"This was my first visit...and I can tell you that I will be back each year..."

By Pam (audience member)

"This was my first visit to see 'A Christmas Carol.' I can tell you that I will be back each year and bring family and co-workers. I encountered an unexpected snow storm afterwards and it didn't even bother me because I was so happy when I left. The sound effects and acting were amazing."

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"The acting was great and the scenery was awesome."

By Sherri

I saw A Christmas Carol last Friday and it was excellent! I took my mom and we both had a great time. The acting was great and the scenery was awesome. I would definitely come back next year and invite others to come along. Well-done! The theater itself has a nice atmosphere.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

"...it only gets better as time passes..."

By Jonathan (patron email)

Hello, I just wanted to express my complete satisfaction with this show. I have gone to this with my family for the last twelve years and it only gets better as time passes. Thank you for a such a great time.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"left the theater with a feeling of Christmas in our hearts."

By Judith (audience email)

We thoroughly enjoyed the creativity in the set design and scene transitions, and congratulate all the actors on their excellent work. We laughed, and cried, and left the theater with a feeling of Christmas in our hearts. Thank you!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

"How lucky we are to live in a city where this kind of entertainment is available."

By Jackie Dickie (audience member)

"What a wonderful evening for my family. The production was very well done, and the cast was outstanding. How lucky we are to live in a city where this kind of entertainment is available. The ticket cost was appropriate and not so excessive that families from all economic classes can have this gift during the holidays."

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

"...you have won over our hearts..."

By Kelly Dimacchia (audience member)

My 10 yr. old, myself and both of my parents attended the show on Sunday. Every year we see a Holiday Production, generally it is "A Christmas Carol." Unanimously we agreed that this year was the MOST entertaining, had the BEST props and costumes AND left us smiling from ear to ear. That is not to say that we haven't enjoyed the past years productions from other companies, we were just really impressed by the quality of the actors and the costumes. My 10 yr. old son was amazed by all the "smoke" and loved the trap doors in the floor. The ghosts of Christmas were fabulously dressed, entertaining and downright creepy (future :). Kudos to a wonderful production, we will be talking about last night for the rest of the season. We are true fans of Great Lakes Theater, you have won over our hearts. Happy Holidays!My 10 yr. old, myself and both of my parents attended the show on Sunday. Every year we see a Holiday Production, generally it is "A Christmas Carol." Unanimously we agreed that this year was the MOST entertaining, had the BEST props and costumes AND left us smiling from ear to ear. That is not to say that we haven't enjoyed the past years productions from other companies, we were...

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

"...everything was perfect..."

By Cherie Matzek (audience member)

My son and his girlfriend had a wonderful experience. We went last year to a matinee and enjoyed it so much. We thought the actors were great! Staging and theme- everything was perfect!

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

My son and his girlfriend had a wonderful experience. We went last year to a matinee and enjoyed it

By Tina Pilcavage (audience member)

The Christmas Carol matinee yesterday was fantastic. The costumes, music and actors were wonderful. The parking was easy to find and exiting was pretty painless as well. Hope to attend another show next Spring. Thank you!

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

"Thank you for the wonderful family experience yesterday afternoon."

By Colleen Miller (audience member)

Thank you for the wonderful family experience yesterday afternoon. We really enjoyed A Christmas Carol. Thank you for having booster seats so the kids can see the stage! Even my 10-year-old used one.

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

"...a very impressive production..."

By Gloria Ferris (audience member)

...attended on Saturday night. The Singers Club caroling before the show was a good start to a very impressive production of "A Christmas Carol". Can't believe it has been so long since we revisited.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

"...simply wonderful..."

By Frances Pollock (audience member)

A Christmas Carol was simply wonderful. Thank you for such a great experience. Great way to kick off the season. Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

"What a fabulous show!"

By Lisa (Audience Member)

"What a fabulous show! I purchased tickets for my Mother-In-Law for her Birthday. We made it a girls night out with her 2 sisters and 2 daughters. It was a great time. The performance was exceptional! What a terrific cast.....truly talented! This was a great way to kick off the holiday with the true spirit of Christmas and sharing time with family. Thank-you!!!!!"

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Thanks to all at GLT!!!

By Anita (Audience Member)

"I brought my seven-year-old granddaughter to see A Christmas Carol as a Christmas gift experience. She absolutely LOVED it! I did, too! Very warm and friendly atmosphere and performance..."

Monday, December 04, 2017

What a wonderful group of talented actors.

By Barbara (Audience Member)

"My grandson and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the play yesterday. It was most enjoyable, from the acting, to the venue. I will definitely attend again."

Pre-Show Choir Performances

Well that was our thinking anyway when we invited some of our community's best choirs to provide a touch of pre-show musical merriment before this season's performances of A Christmas Carol.

To date, the following talented choirs and performance ensembles have accepted our invitation. And we couldn't be more excited to share their pre-show performances with you.

We invite you to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled curtain time for A Christmas Carol to enjoy some of the best sounds of the season from your seats in the Ohio Theatre.

PRE-SHOW CHOIR SCHEDULE:(The times below reflect choir...

Sensory Friendly "Carol"

November 29, 2017

Great Lakes Theater is proud to present a sensory-friendly performance of its production of A Christmas Carol, making live theater accessible to students and adults on the autism spectrum and their families.

For this special performance, accommodations will be made, including a supportive audience environment, designated quiet areas, adjustments to light and sound, and online resource materials. Contact Kelly Schaffer Florian at 216.453.4443 or kflorian@greatlakestheater.org with any questions. (Please Note: Tickets for this performance are available for children and adults on the autism spectrum and patrons that need a friendly audience environment only.)

Tickets:
$13, Seating assigned...

Great Lakes Theater's Production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Playhouse Square for 29th Year

October 11, 2017

Great Lakes Theater's Production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Playhouse Square for 29th Year

CLEVELAND, OH -The stage of the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square will glow with good spirits and time-honored tradition when Great Lakes Theater (GLT) presents its twenty-ninth annual production of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, running November 25 – December 23, 2017. The production has delighted more than 725,000 people in its history, making it one of northeast Ohio’s most-loved and best-attended holiday events.

Great Lakes Theater’s twenty-ninth annual production of A Christmas Carol is sponsored by The John P. Murphy Foundation – one of the production’s inaugural sponsors - and PNC. Great Lakes...

Cleveland's Classic Theater Company Announces Six-Show Season for 2017-18 to Headline Hanna Theatre Home

February 05, 2017

CLEVELAND, OH – Charles Fee, Producing Artistic Director of Great Lakes Theater (GLT), unveiled an ambitious, six-production array of classics to headline the company’s 2017-18 season. Great Lakes Theater’s fifty-sixth year is scheduled to run from September 2017 through May 2018 at Playhouse Square’s Hanna and Ohio Theatres.

GLT will commence its 2017-18 season with the soaring musical epic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, presented in rotating repertory with Shakespeare’s magical comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (September 29 – November 5, 2017). The company’s annual production...

Great Lakes Theater's Production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Playhouse Square for 28th Year

November 05, 2016

CLEVELAND, OH -The stage of the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square will glow with good spirits and time-honored tradition when Great Lakes Theater (GLT) presents its twenty-eighth annual production of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, running November 26 – December 23, 2016.The production has delighted more than 700,000 people in its history, making it one of northeast Ohio’s most-loved and best-attended holiday events.

Great Lakes Theater’s twenty-eighth annual production of A Christmas Carol is sponsored byThe John P. Murphy Foundation – one of the production’s inaugural sponsors. The company’s 2016-17 season is...

Photo Credit: TRG Reality

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. The Cleaveland family celebrates the holiday season by enjoying the Charles Dickens classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL, as read by Mother Cleaveland (actor Laura Welsh Berg, center) in Great Lakes Theater's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg, left) bah-humbugs a pair of well-meaning charity men (actor Aled Davies, center; actor M.A. Taylor, right) in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg) takes center stage in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. The Ghost of Jacob Marley (actor Dougfred Miller, left) warns Ebenezer Scrooge (actor Lynn Robert Berg, right) to change his ways in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Young Scrooge (actor Jonathan Dyrud, left center) shares a tender moment with his potential soulmate Belle (actor Laura Welsh Berg, right center) as Fezziwig guests celebrate in tow in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Fezziwig (actor Aled Davies, center) celebrates with his holiday guests in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. The Ghost of Christmas Present (actor, David Anthony Smith) makes an impressive and magical entrance in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Bob Cratchit (actor, Neil Brookshire) lifts Tiny Tim (actor, Xander Smits) as Cratchit family members celebrate the occasion in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. The Ghost of Christmas Present (actor, David Anthony Smith, above) looms over Ignorance (actor, Emma McLelland, right below) and Want (actor, Ellie Ritterbusch, left below) in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Bob Cratchit (actor, Neil Brookshire) mourns the loss of Tiny Tim as Cratchit family members attempt to find holiday comfort on the sad occasion in Great Lakes Theater's production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

Click the thumbnail above to open a larger hi res version of this photo. Then right click and "Save As" to your computer. Great Lakes Theater rings in the holiday season with its 28th annual production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL onstage at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. The production runs through December 23. (Photography by Roger Mastroianni)

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